Knowledge and Attitudes of Health Professionals toward Dietary Supplements and Herbal Foods

Abstract

Dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, fiber, various plants, and extracts. They enhance nutritional status and immune function, and have a significant impact on disease prevention and health. However, it is important to note that dietary supplements should be used to supplement a diet, not replace it, and only when the diet fails to meet nutritional needs or when individuals suffer from undernourishment. Determining the appropriate dosage of dietary supplements is crucial for ensuring their safety. Overconsumption of dietary supplements may result in toxic side effects. In addition, dietary supplements and herbal foods should be carefully used due to possible drug-nutrient/herbal interactions. Questioning and monitoring patients' use of all dietary supplements, herbal foods, and medications by health professionals is important for the prevention of toxicity or other adverse effects. The attitudes and knowledge levels of health professionals regarding dietary supplements and herbal foods affect their counseling of patients, including questioning and monitoring the use of supplements. Therefore, this study aims to review the literature about the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals toward dietary supplements and herbal foods.

Keywords

• Health professionals
• dietary supplements
• herbal
• food

Sağlık Profesyonellerinin Besin Destekleri ve Bitkisel Besinlere Yönelik Tutum ve Bilgi Düzeyleri

Abstract

Besin destekleri; vitaminler, mineraller, amino asitler, yağ asitleri, posa, çeşitli bitkiler ve bitki özlerinden oluşmaktadır. Beslenme durumunu ve bağışıklık fonksiyonunu iyileştirmekte, hastalıkları önleme ve sağlık üzerinde önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Ancak, besin destekleri yalnızca diyetin beslenme gereksinimlerini karşılamak için yetersiz olduğu veya bireylerin yetersiz beslendiği durumlarda diyete ek olarak (bir gıda alternatifi olarak değil) önerilir. Besin desteklerinin dozu, güvenilirliklerini belirlemek için oldukça önemlidir. Besin desteklerinin büyük miktarlarda tüketilmesi toksik etkilere neden olabilir. Ayrıca besin destekleri ve bitkisel besinler olası besin-ilaç etkileşimleri nedeniyle dikkatli kullanılmalıdır. Hastaların tüm besin destekleri, bitkisel besin ve ilaç kullanımlarının sağlık profesyonelleri tarafından sorgulanması ve izlenmesi, toksisite veya diğer yan etkilerin önlenmesi açısından önemlidir. Sağlık profesyonellerinin besin destekleri ve bitkisel besinlere ilişkin tutumları ve bilgi düzeyleri, besin desteği kullanımını sorgulama ve izleme de dahil olmak üzere hastalara verdikleri danışmanlık hizmetlerini etkilemektedir. Bu nedenle bu çalışma, sağlık profesyonellerinin besin destekleri ve bitkisel besinlere yönelik tutum ve bilgi düzeyleri ile ilgili çalışmaları derlemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Sağlık profesyonelleri
• besin destekleri
• bitkisel
• besin

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